An Arrow Among the Flame
by Copperdreamer
Summary: After meeting a wandering master at the age of five, Naruto left with him to train on his travels. Watch as he returns to Konoha with new skills and techniques. Naruto/Tenten, Rating may change. I do not own Naruto or the universe it is set in.
1. Chapter 1

An Arrow Among the Flame

Chapter 1

Two hooded figures were seen walking down the road leading to great ninja village known as Konohagakure. Both seemed to be simple travelers wearing nothing more than their clothes and traveling cloaks. The shorter of the two turned to his companion. "Oi Nasu, when are we getting back home?" His companian stopped for a second and resumed walking. "It'll be coming up in about thirty minutes, Naru-chan. Stop whining so much."

The shorter of the figures pulled his hood off of his head to reveal a young boy around the age of twelve with shining blond hair and deep blue eyes. He looked at his partner with an indignant expression etched onto his face. "I told you to stop calling me that, jerk. I'm going to be a genin by the end of the week. How about a little respect for once?" The man known as Nasu removed his hood and looked over at the boy and said, "Naruto, I'll show you some respect when you get to my level. For now, you're still that little five year old brat I took with me to train." Looking over the child again, he continued, "Besides, it's not like you're hokage yet. You've only just started practicing the hard part of kyuujutsu. Now for a change of pace, let's start thinking of ways to prank those two lazy ass chunin up at the gate. They should know better than to be sleeping on the job."

Naruto turned back to the road and squinted. He still had no idea how his sensei could see that far ahead of them. Turning back to the matter at hand, he began thinking of ways to prank the people his sensei pointed out. It was a great way to pass the time and made the trip seem bearable. 'I've got it.' Tilting his head to his teacher, Naruto asked, "Hey sensei, do you have any of those paint bombs left?" The elder of two replied, " Maybe, are you going for manuver forty-two or seventy?" "Neither sensei, I was thinking of using sixty-one." Naruto replied with a smile only a fox could match. Nasu broke into a grin as well. "Well then, I might have a couple handy. What colors do you need?"

* * *

At the gates of Konoha, the two chunin guards shivered. It was as though the air itself had become oppressive. What happened next would go down in history as the guards screams ripped through the night.

* * *

Sarutobi was no fool when it came to protecting his village. For god's sakes he had both fought and led in two of the greatest wars in the history of the world. Now, in the days where he should be able to live out his life peacefully, these two idiots were back to raise hell. "I really do wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I believe you know why you're here," he told the two grinning buffoons in front of him. Naruto and Nasu were currently seated in front of the most powerful man in the shinobi world. It was like looking at a fox and a cheshire cat wearing matching grins. Sarutobi continued, "You two have not only caused two of my chunin to require mental health treatments, vandalized the wall around their gate, and dyed their hair permanently orange, but you've caused my paperwork to nearly double in under two hours of being here!" Raising his voice to a thundering roar, the hokage screamed out, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Naruto spoke up first, " They shouldn't have been half asleep at their posts. What if an enemy ninja decided to slip past into the village?" Nasu continued in perfect synch with his student, "Besides, we gave them plenty of opportunities to wake up and dodge." The Hokage was impressed, both by how easy they took to the situation, and the logic they used. He coughed and then looked to Naruto. "Before you leave, there is a package with both the address to your new home and the keys to it. Inside you will also find a scroll containing the rules and regulations of our acadamy, as well as your schedule. Ask my secretary to get it for you. You're dismissed."

Naruto bowed low and exited the room with a grin on his face. Next the Hokage glanced over to Nasu. Looking him over, he saw that he had grown as well. Nasu looked as though he was in his twentys, standing at six foot two with light brown hair kept as a low pony tail and deep blue eyes. It was uncanny how closely he resembeled one of the teachers at the acadamy. If only the man would put his hair in a higher pony tail. "Well now Nasu," Sarutobi spoke, "It's high time you told me how the trip went. Besides, you still haven't given me an answer to our last discussion."

Nasu crossed the room to view out of the window. He admitted that while wandering around the world had much excitement, it still couldn't compare to the view before him. In the night, the city istelf looked like many of the festivals he had come across. "You know old man, it might just be time for me to finally settle down. I've seen many things in my life that even those triple my age would be jealous of. Provided that I get some bonuses to sweeten the deal." Looking over his shoulder at the kage, he continued, " Jounin rank, exclusive rights to Naruto if I take a team, and one other item. Now if you don't mind I'm a bit tired and need to catch up to my student." Pulling out a folder from his cloak, Nasu tossed it on the desk and walked toward the door. "Good luck with the paperwork," he called over his shoulder as he exited the room.

The hokage walked over to his desk and froze as he was about to pick up the folder Nasu had put on his desk. He had to read it's title twice to make sure that it was right.

'Intent of Adoption of Naruto Uzumaki Signed By Nasu Soreya'

* * *

**AN:** Well here's the first chapter. Leave any thoughts or criticisms in a review.

Terms:  
Kyuujutsu: Archery

About Nasu:  
Nasu was based off of a famous samurai by the name of Nasu no Yoichi. A good way to picture him would be to take Iruka, remove his facial scar, have his hair reach to his upper back, and change his eye color to a dark sapphire blue color. I'll probably use the similarity to comedic effect later. More about Nasu's personality and past (including how Naruto came to travel with him) will be revealed next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

An Arrow Among the Flame

Chapter 2

Nasu exited the hokage's tower and began to look for his blonde student. He already knew the address to their home, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Naruto hadn't gone in that particular direction. He chuckled to himself as he remembered how excited his student was to be home again. He almost drove Nasu up a wall when he wouldn't stay quiet about the trip home.

Nasu smirked as he recalled how he had met his blonde-haired, ball of sunshine. It was one of his fondest memories.

* * *

_Flashback_

A young man in his teens walked into an archery range. It had to be one of the oldest buildings in Konoha. It was a nice place, beaten and worn, but nice. If the man had any intention of staying, it would probably be his favoite spot in the village. Looking around, he noticed what seemed to be a traditional range with a couple of improvements. He could see the ground and targets had a couple of wisps of chakra moving on them, while the walls had an air purifying seal on them. 'Nice to know that the dust wasn't in the air. My allergies would've killed me in here,' the man thought to himself, 'Now to get the rest of this place clean.' It didn't take him too long to clean the place out, and when he finished it looked practicaly new again.

He cocked his head to the side as he noticed that the door to the range had opened, and a kid in orange had stepped into the range. He had to be no more than four or five. The young boy looked up and saw the man and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else came here. I'll leave if you want." The man held a puzzled expression as he replied, "It's alright if you want to stay. It's not like I own the place or anything," putting on what he hoped was a kind smile, he continued, "besides, I wouldn't mind some company."

The boy looked at him in shock. Why was this man being nice to him? Normally the adults either ignored or insulted him. The boy flashed a fox-like smile as he closed the door behind him. "Okay mister!" The boy walked over some chairs that had been set out and sat down. He was definately curious about this man. "So what's your name kid?" Hid ears perked up as he replied with his fist pumped into the air, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! You'd better remember it 'cause I'm gonna be hokage one day! What about you?" The man was silent and then began to chuckle a little bit. " Well Naruto Uzumaki hokage-to-be, my friends call me Nasu Soreya, the wandering arrow."

After their introduction the two were silent for a bit as Nasu pulled out his bow. It wasn't anything special, at least it didn't look it. Naruto looked curiously at the object in Nasu's hand and asked, "What's that?" Nasu looked over to the boy with an incredulous look on his face. "Haven't you ever seen a bow before?" The boy shook his head and Nasu continued to stare at him. "What are they teaching in schools today? Alright, time for a crash course. This, (holding up the unstrung bow) is a bow. It's used to shoot arrows at one of those targets over there." He continued by putting the string on, placing a arrow on part of the bow, and pulled back on the string. Taking aim with the weapon, The man let go of the arrow and watched it sink into the targets bulls-eye.

Looking back at the boy, Nasu asked, "How come you're in an archery range if you didn't know about a bow?" The boy broke out of his stupor after watching the arrow fly into the target. After his brain registered the question, Naruto gained a pained expression on his face. "I just like the quiet that's all." Nasu knew when someone was lieing to him and decided to voice his thoughts, "Not with that look you do. What's really biting ya?" The boy blushed and gritted his teeth a bit as he figured that he'd been found out. "It's because the villagers don't like me. They always ignore me or worse, they shout hateful things at me. I don't understand why, so I come here so they don't see me. I heard once 'out of sight out of mind' so that's why I spend my day here. Come to think of it, you're the first person I've met in here." The man was stunned as he heard this revelation. "What about your parents?" he quietely asked Naruto. "I don't got any," was the boy's reply. "Jiji told me they died when the kyuubi attacked. The lady at the orphanage aint any better than the villagers though. She told me once that she wouldn't care if I dissappeared."

By the time Nasu heard the end, he was practically spitting fire. If anyone in his village had done such an act, they would've been imprisoned. Cruelity to children was not something he tolerated. Softening his expression to conceal his rage, Nasu turned to Naruto and said, "Well, if you want we can go talk to the hokage about this. I'm sure we could work something out." Naruto shook his head again. "He couldn't do anything. I've been moved to my own appartment so I could live in peace. It still doesn't help being lonely though." Nasu got up from the chair he'd been sitting in and looked over to Naruto. "If you'll be here tomorrow, I'd like to talk to you some more." Naruto grinned and replied with a look of hope, "Really? That'd be awesome! Maybe you could show me how to work that stick thingy!" Nasu nooded to Naruto and packed his stuff. After walking the child home, he immediatley began toward the hokage tower.

* * *

The Sandaime Hokage was sitting contently at his desk. There was no paperwork for the day, and all was peaceful. Then his world was turned upside down faster than he could blink. He had heard his assistant arguing loudly with someone coming up the stairs, and just when things got quiet, his door was ripped of of his hinges and splinters were flying everywhere. Even before he could react, his Anbu guard had lept to action. The smog and dust cleared as he nearly had a heart attack. His Anbu guard were pinned upside down to the wall, and the assistant pinned to the roof. This wouldn't have had much effect, were it not for the man in front of him. This man had no fear for what could happen to him, as he walked into the room. Sarutobi blinked as he looked toward the door to see that it was perfectly fine. 'Genjustu?' was the first thought that crossed his mind, until he notice that his guard and now unconcious assistant were still pinned to their spots.

"Hokage-sama, would you mind if we talked in private?" the man asked with a sickly sweet smile on his face. The hokage narrowed his eyes until they opened wide. He remebered that this man had come into his office before. Looking at his guard, Sarutobi could see that what was pinning his men to the wall were not kunai as he first surmised, but arrows. He knew of only one capable of doing this, although he had never seen him this angry before. In fact, he looked downright murderous. Deciding to test the waters, the hokage said, " It may be a little difficult, seeing as how we have a few wallflowers in here Nasu-kun." The hokage saw a ghost of a smirk as Nasu brought his hand into the proper seal. 'At least he's responding to humor.' Pops could be heard as first the Anbu were released, and then the assitant, whom Nasu caught and set down. Letting out a glare toward the awake Anbu, he said, "Take your unconcious and get out."

The Anbu grabbed the assistant and left the room. If this guy could take them out that easy, they might as well not get in the way. Watching them leave, the hokage spoke in a strong but still polite voice, "Now Nasu, what is the meaning of this?"

Sarutobi listened as Nasu relayed the events at the archery range to the elderly hokage. Nasu had practically spat venom as he told him of the matrons word's. As he ended the recounting, Nasu finished with, "I don't care about your opinion on the matter Sarutobi, I'm taking him with me if he wants to come. I'm not going to just leave a child who's done nothing wrong to these worthless piles of scum." The hokage stiffened a bit as Nasu bit out that sentence. He knew the reasons behind the villagers hate, even if he didn't condone it. "And how will you do that Nasu?" Sarutobi asked the man, "Naruto is a child, can you say that he would have a good childhood with you? Could you give him one, despite your enemies and actions? You are still being hounded by your past, and I would hate to find out that he got caught in the crossfire."

"Cut the pollitical bullshit old man. My past has been dealt with. As of last month, the man who destroyed my country is as dead as my village. Now are you going to let me take him or not?" Nasu replied. The hokage looked at Nasu and continued to stare at the door, "What of his dream? Obviously you know he wants to take this office one day." "Then in seven years time I will bring him back. He'd be able to take the genin exam, and probably pass with flying colors," was the others retort. Sarutobi felt that arguing with him at this point was moot. He looked over to the man and said, "That's fine then, but will you return with him? If he gets close to you, then it would break his heart to see you leave." The teen look contimplative for a few minutes and stared at the elderly hokage. "We will see where the road takes me. No promises." After saying those words he got up and began walking out of the room. After all, he had to go meet his future pupil tomorrow.

* * *

Nasu had just finished packing up a second backpack at the archery range when Naruto walked in with a grin plastered on his face. The blond haired boy stopped as he saw the two backpacks and asked, "Nasu-san? Are you leaving?" The man laughed at the honorific and replied, "Well that depends Naruto. Come sit down, I need to talk with you." Naruto looked at the backpacks again and sat down next to his new friend. Nasu checked his backpacks again and started, "Naruto, did you mean it when you said you wanted to be Hokage?" Seeing Naruto nod, he continued, "What if I told you I could help you? I understand if you say no, but if you want I can take you on my journeys. It won't be an easy life, but you will get stronger. Hell, I could teach you more than every ninja in this village combined. I don't intend on stopping your dream by any means, but we would be gone for a very long time. When we get back you'd be more than ready to become a genin. The only thing I worry about is you might not have many friends while growing up. It'd be your decision of course, but I want you to think it over." Nasu finished checking the bags and looked over to Naruto. He saw the young boys shoulders shaking and before he could think about it, the boy had jumped onto him with a hug and began to cry.

Nasu blinked and put his hand on the boys head and said, "Hey hey, no need for the waterworks kid." Naruto looked up to the man with tear soaked eyes and began thanking him over and over. Nasu eventually grew tired of the kids crying and swatted him across his head. "Alright Naru-chan, enough. Now we gotta get to the gate. Grab a bag and follow me."

They had left under the cover of night, without anyone seeing them other than the two chunin at the gate. Nasu planned it this way, as Naruto said, 'out of sight out of mind'. They had said good-bye only to the hokage and the Ichiraku family. With their good-byes settled, the two had begun the first leg of their seven year journey together.

Flashback end

* * *

Nasu already figured that Naruto would've headed to grab something to eat at that ramen shop he always talked about. Letting out a sigh, Nasu started heading over to their home to start unpacking. As he reached the gate to the two story home, he observed the area and saw that the hokage had gone above and beyond what Nasu had asked of him. The land itself was around five acres, with one and a half acres cleared field and the rest being a nice forested area. The house itself was nothing too out of the ordinary, other than being larger than most. It was a nice six bedroom, seven bath with several extra rooms. The extra rooms would eventually be set up as weapons rooms, a shared office between Naruto and him, a library, and Nasu's personal favorite, a workshop. It wasn't common knowledge that the young man was a bowyer. After Naruto passed the genin exam, Nasu had every intention of training the kid in the art of making a bow.

Nasu grinned as he went to check out the one thing he had impressed on Sarutobi the most. The basement level of the house had one staircase spriraling down into the earth. It took Nasu several minutes to walk down the hundred foot yawning abyss, but at the end he flicked a switch and it flared to life. Underneath the house was a training area that spanned all five acres underneath the house. The man looked over the railing and saw that he was nowhere close to the bottom of the room. The stairway had led to a large blacony that extended all the way to one side of the room, while midway there was a large starcaise leading down. This room would serve two purposes for the two living here. One, it had to be the most extensive flat training area in the village. That could be rectified if needed as Nasu could make obstacles, but it was a fine start. The pair could go all out in here and no-one above ground would be wise to their sparring.

Moving back up stairs, Nasu formed a cross shaped handsign. It was one of the many techniques that he had taught Naruto, and the boy had taken it to white on bleached rice in a snowstorm. 'Shadow clone technique' echoed through the mans mind as two clones popped into existance. Already knowing what to do, the clones took a scroll from their creator and began unsealing furniture for the living room and moved it into position. Nasu himself made his way to his room and took out a third scroll labeled as his, and unsealed a bed, an end table, and an alarm clock. 'I'll do the rest in the morning.' he thought to himself and went to Naruto's room. He pulled out a scroll familiar to his own and gave the same treatment to his students abode.

Just as he went to step out of the door, an evil smirk crossed his face. Walking over to the newly summoned alarm clock, Nasu toyed with the settings a bit before placing it back down. 'Sorry Naruto, but turning my towels orange crossed the line.' Satisfied with his scheme, Nasu walked downstairs as both clones dispersed to reveal the now furnish living room. He knew that Naruto wold be tired when he got home, so Nasu decided to put a couple of signs leading to the boys room, nothing complicated, just a note and some orange arrows pointing the way.

After he finished, he supressed a yawn and retired to his room. He already planned for his student revenge, and decided to place an iron wall and silence seals on the locked door before blissfully retreating to the darkness.

* * *

Naruto walked into his new home before reading the first sign in the hallway. He could tell his teacher was tired by the sloppy handwriting, but was still able to make out the message. Flopping onto his bed, Naruto shut his eyes and began drifting off. It would be a pleasant first night back in Konoha.

Until 3 am passed, and he found out his alarm clocks battery door was welded shut, that is.

* * *

Chapter 2 end

My thanks go out to all who alerted and favorited this story. Especially you, deedee555. I'm glad you like it. Next chapter will deal with Naruto's night out as well as the first couple days at the acadamy. Hopefully I can crank out a chapter every two weeks, but don't get discouraged if it takes a month between updates from me. I pride quality over quantity, so that's my excuse. Leave a comment or criticism in a review and I'll be sure to check it. Thanks for reading and I'll see ya'll in chapter three!


	3. Chapter 3

An Arrow Among the Flame

Chapter 3

It was around 8pm as Naruto stepped out of the Hokage's office, and he knew exactly where he wanted to go first. He had already gotten the scroll from the old man's secretary and thought about thumbing through it while he made his way through the crowd. It was a good feeling to be home again, but he couldn't shake the memories of when he was five. Nobody recognized him now and some had actually given him a polite nod as he walked past.

'Wow, not even a decades past and everyone just forgot about me.' Naruto continued to contemplate his newfound anonymity as he neared the one place that should remember him. The Ichiraku Ramen shop looked as though it hadn't changed a bit on the outside. It was as though time had stopped for the building. Deciding against his usual loud greeting, Naruto parted the flap in the doorway and chose a seat at the bar. Recognizing the daughter of the stores owner immediately, he asked, "So any kind of homecoming specials for me Ayame-chan?"

The girl had her back turned as he entered the stand, and let out a 'meep' in surprise as he spoke. She hadn't been suspecting anyone this late at night and had only kept the shop open to clean up after the dinner rush. Looking over her shoulder to get a better view of the voice, she replied, "Sure, give me a minute and I'll get you some of your favorite, Naruto." Immediately recognizing the name as it left her mouth, her eyes widened. She hadn't used that name since a certain boy left years ago.

Ayame spun around to see for herself. Upon looking at the guest, she realized it was indeed the young boy she had said goodbye to when she was eleven. He had grown from the little boy she used to have a crush on to the budding young man in front of her. "Naruto? When did you get back?" Ayame asked the boy in front of her.

"Just a couple of hours ago, Jiji had me in a meeting for a while. I practically busted my lid when I couldn't get here earlier," Naruto excitedly told her. He had missed the two who were practically his family. Naruto began looking around for Ayame's father and asked, "Ne ne, where's Teuchi-san? I wanted to say hi to him too!"

Ayame giggled at the boys antics and told him, "Sorry Naruto, He had to go home early tonight. His back's been acting up lately. He should be here tomorrow, though." Seeing Naruto's mood start to turn, she added, "I'll get your ramen and then you'll have to tell me all about your trip."

* * *

The time spent at the Ramen shop had been incredibly enjoyable for Naruto. Nasu hadn't been so cruel as to keep his student from his favorite food, but nothing really could match up to the Ichiraku standard. On his way to his new home, he decided to cut through the park. About halfway through, he came upon a peculiar sight. He saw a girl standing in front of a vending machine with her brown hair tied up into two buns about thirty feet from him. She looked pretty worn out as she stared at the selections in the machine and seemed to be muttering about overactive teachers and team mates. Naruto thought twice about calling out to her when he saw the headband she wore. She had already punched in the number for what she wanted when she began to move again.

As the girl reached into her pocket, Naruto saw her visibly tense up and began to search her other pockets. He saw she was becoming frantic and realized she must have lost her wallet. Naruto thought for a second before pulling out the change in his pocket. 'Just enough.' he thought as he took careful aim at the coin slot on the device. Letting his arm whip forward, he sent the change in his hand on their way right into the opening.

* * *

Tenten was having an awful day. First her sensei decided that their 'flames of youth' were dying out and needed to be rekindled. Translation: Laps around Konoha and sparring with her asshole of a team-mate. She didn't mind her teachers mini-me as much as she hated that pretentious Hyuuga. To top it off, she had somehow lost her wallet in the process and now looked like a fool. Tired, beaten, and hungry as she was, she still noticed a faint whistle to her right and dodged out of the way. She saw what had made the sound, as a couple of coins flew into the coin slot.

An unmistakable rumbling began as the machine vended her selection and the metallic voice rang, "Thank you for your purchase!"

She couldn't believe her luck as she turned to where the whistle had come from, only to see a flash of blonde disappear into the trees.

* * *

Naruto had continued on his way after seeing the coins hit their target. He hadn't meant to scare her, but he had to hurry home. Besides, he kinda liked the whole 'mysterious stranger saves the day' kinda shtick. Hopefully this didn't get around to Nasu though. The one thing that was impressed upon Naruto the entire trip was to not show off. He took a minute to gawk at his new home before he entered and read the note.

_Hey Naru-chan! Hope your night went well. I'm probably asleep right now, so just follow the arrows to your room. I'll take you on a tour tomorrow. Get plenty of rest and I'll see you in the morning! -Nasu_

"Hn, Nasu never tells me to rest up. Must be seriously wiped out." Naruto said as he began following the arrows. He eventually made his way to the room and gratefully flopped into the welcoming matress. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't figure out why his mind kept drifting toward that cute girl from earlier...

* * *

**3am**

**'BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING'**

Hell itself officially broke loose into Naruto's room. It all began with the infernal device before him. His alarm clock blared into a hate filled existence at the ungodly hour of three am. Naruto had tried to hit the snooze button, but it didn't seem to work. Next he went to unplug the device, but remembered that it was battery operated. Chuckling to himself as he recalled that it was a prank gift from his sensei, he turned it over to see a note on the bottom. How had he not seen this before? As he read the paper, a cold sweat formed on his brow.

_Naru-chan! Hope you like the new and improved clock. This indestructo brand clock has an official warranty backing it. It says that no matter what you do to it, it will be impossible to break. Welcome to your new training regiment. Break the clock, and you'll get to sleep again. Sweet dreams! -Sensei_

By ripping the note off the back, Naruto realized that the battery door had been welded shut. It was gonna be a long night.

* * *

Sweet, unadulterated silence was all Nasu heard as he blinked back into awareness. He hadn't had that good of a rest since, well, ever. He slowly got dressed and wiped the groggyness from his eyes as he made his way toward the door. His eyes widened a little bit as he opened the door. Other than his room's wall, the entire hallway was wrecked. Flooring was ripped up and the walls had chunks missing at random intervals. Nasu couldn't help but admire the destruction before him. Satisfied that his seals had held off the worst of it, he locked his room and began picking his way through the rubble strewn about the hall. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw Naruto sitting at the table with what looked to be a pot of coffee in his hand. "Morning Naruto, I hope you slept well."

Naruto's bloodshot eyes snapped to the source of his weariness and pain and the boy leaned down to pick up something. Nasu felt something embed itself into the wall behind him. Looking back, he saw a sphere of mangled metal and wires. "Indestructible, my ass," Nasu muttered as he went to get a bowl. "So boy, you got any plans for the day? Seeing as you passed last nights test, and the academy week starts tomorrow, you might as well have the day off."

Naruto's eye twitched as he got up from the table said, "I do hope you know that I'm going to get you back Nasu." Naruto finished off the pot and set it next to the sink. "I guess I'll just check out the academy and find a decent training ground. Or you could give me that tour you promised." Shooting a look at Nasu, he noticed the mans expression turn to a smile.

"Oh you're definitely going to like what I've got to show you then." Nasu let his student pick himself up from the table and began to tour the tired boy around the compound. When they had gone underground, Naruto's eyes had practically left their sockets. It wasn't hard to see why his teacher had been excited about the area before him. They continued the tour and Naruto found that his room was one of four that were strictly dedicated to him.

The first room was obviously his room. The second was built to be both a library and a private study, with a small closet attached for extra storage. The third room was by far his favorite, as it was meant to be a trophy room of sorts. During their travels, Naruto had struck upon a peculiar fancy of village headbands.

He had started his collection when he had fought off several shinobi and noticed one of them left their headband in the mud. He had picked it up to admire the etching on the metal when Nasu had found him. Nasu told him of the significance of the item and how he would one day have to earn one as well. Naruto figured to many ninja, their headband meant more to them than anything else. He had decided to keep hold of it, and it started a bug within his system.

When the pair had first encountered a missing-nin, he noticed the scratch marking through the symbol. He was shocked that someone could betray the place that had given them their lives. He had sworn to never become some one like that. Naruto didn't know it but those words made his sensei's heart swell at the sentiment. It had echoed his own words as Nasu remembered his own trainer. It was that night that he showed Naruto one of his greatest treasures.

* * *

Flashback

* * *

"Naruto, come here." Nasu called to his young student.

Naruto gazed over to the fire and then to where Nasu sat. He noticed his teacher pull out a scroll and unseal an item from it. Naruto walked over to the man and sat next to him. "What's that, sensei?" Naruto's curiosity was on full alert as his teacher showed the item to him. It looked to be a headband, but he had never seen the symbol before. It looked as though it was both a door and a key, but when he concentrated on one image, he could only see the other.

"This Naruto, is a relic from the ancient times of shinobi." Nasu replied. As he sensed his student's curiosity rising, Nasu continued, "It's one of the rarest items remaining of an ancient civilization. Long before the time of the Sage of Six paths, there was no one in this land that could use chakra. However, that wasn't the case of other places in the world. One such place held untold wonder. It was a land that had a sprawling metropolis that housed millions of people. The land around it was vibrant and heathy, the very air gave strength to weary travelers. It was a land known as the 'Key to All Gates' due to high amounts of trade. It was a beautiful city, where there was no poor, and no destitution. The city had been in a golden age since it's inception. It was the center of commerce and had such a low crime rate that people could leave their doors open without a care in the world."

Naruto's ears had perked up a little as he slowly became fascinated with this new story. Seeing his students mind begin to pick up, Nasu continued, "It wasn't always a place of peace though, it was up to a group named the 'Caste' to bring peace to the land. Fourteen was their number, and their names were practically sacred to the people."

Naruto listened intently as a question formed in his head. "Sensei, I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you know their names?"

Nasu tilted his head to the side and replied, "Naruto, you know I don't mind questions for curiosities sake. You actually know a couple of them as the hand seals I've been teaching you. So, since you decided to interrupt, pop quiz! What're the names of the seals I've been teaching you?"

Naruto unconsciously wove the seals he had practiced and said in an almost hypnotic voice, "Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus," Naruto took a breath as he stopped his hands at the last one said. "I still haven't learned Hades, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Hestia, Poseideon, and Zeus," he finished with a sigh.

"That's right Naruto. Those were their names, yet it was more of a title than an actual name. The hand signs I've been trying to teach you were originally how the people would pray to them, each symbolizing one of the fourteen. Using these seals, the people could work similar techniques to the caste, although on a much smaller scale. It can be surmised that those were one of the predecessors to what we use today. Being worshiped was embarrassing at first, but the caste grew used to tolerating it. "

"The Caste had a special way of harnessing the very energy within the land. Using this energy, they could cause both terror and awe, much like our techniques today. Through their efforts, they forged the city and it's peace with their bare hands. Although they were all powerful in their own regards, they knew that each other was their better in some way. They accepted that fact, and were the closest friends that could be possible."

"What happened to them? If they were that powerful, how come the city isn't around anymore?" Naruto asked. He had been hanging on every word his sensei spoke.

Tightening his grip on the headband, Nasu growled. "Asclepius and Hebe happened. The Caste may have been fast friends, but they had their enemies. Asclepius and Hebe were two of those who never desired peace. Hebe was the one who served the Caste as a valued ally and partner. It was not uncommon that the group would visit with her for counsel and parties. They didn't know of the plot that was formed between her and Asclepius. In one of the groups weakest moments, Asclepius poured poison into their drinks, and Hebe served them for a toast. When the groups lips touched the brims of their cups, over half the brotherhood died. It wasn't until two remained that they drunkenly realized what had happened. Chaos erupted as the news of their deaths were announced. In the chaos, Asclepius tried to seize control of the city from the two remaining members of the Caste. Artemis and Hermes were the two that lived and while they were both diplomatic, neither could sway the frenzied populace. In the last moments of sanity, Hermes sent out over a hundred missives to the neighboring countries warning them to stay away."

Nasu drew in a breath and continued his tale, "After the last letter left, all hell broke loose in the streets. Asclepius had released a toxic substance into the water. This substance, when it was consumed by the city, shut down the brain's ability to think rationally. It only took one night before the roads were soaked with blood and gore. Hermes and Artemis could only look in horror as the people who once looked to their fellow man with love fell upon each other like wild beasts. When the last of the people were all that remained, they simply ended it themselves. Hermes and Artemis could only do one final thing for their city as the bloodbath stopped. Using their power, they created a dome surrounding the city and caused it to sink into the ground with a single pillar remaining as a monument to their sorrow. The horror didn't end until the very ground itself was tainted as the poison seeped into it. It was then that Hermes fell dead, and the poison of two nights before finally took his life. It is said that Artemis found evidence that Asclepius had escaped, and swore to hunt him down before his life ended."

Looking to see if his student was still paying attention, he snickered at the look on his students face. "I've never seen you so interested in history before. Relax kid, it's probably just some old fairy tale to explain where our techniques come from."

Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly at Nasu's teasing. The story had been exciting and his childish mind began to wander. "Sensei, could Artemis and Asclepius still be out there?"

Nasu grinned at the kid and said, "Well, it all depends if it's true or not. It all was supposed to happen around five centuries ago, and I haven't met anyone who's lived even a hundred years old besides summon animals. Who knows, if it is true, Artemis might have already had his revenge before either of us were born, or he could still be out their hunting that traitor." Looking to his student, Nasu supressed another laugh and told his student, "Your starting to droop. Why don't we head to bed early tonight. I'll be sure to wake you up to train tomorrow."

Naruto walked haphazardly over to the tent and soon fell asleep in his bed roll.

* * *

"Naruto? Oi, we have one more room, kid." Naruto woke to a start at his sensei's call. "Geez, you seriously zoned out on me there. Next time at least warn me." Nasu jokingly told Naruto. "This last room," Nasu explained as he led Naruto to the last door, "is your personal vault. Even I can't access it unless you allow me to." Nasu showed his student how the blood seal operated and key Naruto and himself to the entrance. Once the seal stopped glowing, Naruto and Nasu concluded the tour back in the kitchen area. They had decided to spend the rest of the day unpacking. Naruto spent most of the time organizing his headband collection.

In his new trophy room, Naruto had his collection stored in glass shadow boxes that his sensei bought for him. Naruto always had a knack for decorating a room, and he showed it on the walls of the room. On the widest wall that the door opened to, he had arranged each headband to roughly indicate where each 'hidden' village was on a map. He didn't care too much for the five great nation headbands, as they were pretty common to get a hold of. His favorites were those of the smaller countries. Looking over toward where the leaf headband was supposed to be, he grinned. That was the one he never took, simply because he knew he had to earn it. This villages band held a special meaning for him, and tommorrow he would prove it.

* * *

Chapter 3 end

Bit shorter than I would've liked, but it'll do. Had to cut the academy start out, but it'll start next chapter for sure. I decided to show a bit of what Naruto's training has culminated to, and a piece of the underlying story. As for the names, the cast members are the fourteen main Greek gods, while Asclepius and Hebe were loosely based on their namesakes. I just like to read things on Greek history and mythos, so I figured they might fit for an 'ancient city' vibe. I also wanted to have Tenten meet Naruto earlier than expected, but I don't want it to drive the story so soon. Now the question is, will Naruto show everything he's got in the academy, or will he act the fool and hide his power?

Leave your ideas, comments, and suggestions in a review and thanks for reading!

Post editing note: I just realized that the site has a built-in spell check. Yay for proper spelling and grammar!


	4. Chapter 4

An Arrow Among the Flame

Chapter 4

Naruto checked himself in the mirror for a third time to make sure everything was in order. He had his favorite outfit on. It consisted of a nearly black shirt with a dark brown jacket over it. His legwear consisted of the standard ninja khakis with iron shielded boots. The only jewelery he wore was a small orange amber piece that had been cut into a spiral. The entire outfit was a gift from Nasu when they first left the village. It had multiple seals on the inside ranging from storage and defense, to the ever handy size adjusting and stain resisting varieties. At first, Naruto hadn't been too fond of ditching his favorite color, but he warmed up to it when his sensei showed him how to use the seals in the jacket. That had sealed the deal for him and practically ripped his jumpsuit off and discarded it.

Today was his first day at the academy, and he wanted to dress to impress. Nasu had prepped him on what the academy taught and scoffed at the hideously low standards. Naruto had laughed at his sensei's request to lay low, but don't be an idiot. It was ok to show off a little bit, but not to steamroll the class. It wasn't an easy request, but he would try. After all, what kind of ninja showed their best skills before a fight? Naruto finished checking himself over just as the timer went off. 'Time to go.'

Naruto neared the academy in time to hear the bell ring for classes. The scroll had said to report to 'Iruka' and that his class was on the second floor. Naruto walked to the school and saw an adult headed toward the school as well. He wore a chunin's vest and had his brown hair tied up into a pony tail. Naruto called to the man, "Excuse me sir, but I'm new here. Would you be able to direct me to Iruka-sensei's classroom?"

The man looked toward Naruto and said, "Sure since we're headed the same way. I'm Iruka, and you must be our new class member, Naruto?"

Naruto felt a wave of déjà vu and nodded dumbly. 'This dude looks just like Nasu!'

Naruto followed his new teacher to the class room and saw the classroom fairly full, and decided to take a seat next to a brooding kid in the corner of the class. The kid never stopped staring out of the window as Naruto approached. Shrugging it off, Naruto sat down, rested his face in his left hand, and watched the rest of the class trickle in. He had taken note of a few people such as the Aburame clan member, and the Hyuuga girl who seem to be constantly nervous. Right as the bell rang, two girls burst into the room. Both were breathing heavily and arguing who was first. He didn't take too much notice of the blond girl, as during his travels Naruto had noticed that 'Blonde Beauties' were practically a dime a dozen. The pink haired one was fairly exotic to him however, and began wondering if it was a natural color or if she dyed it to look that way. As she looked over to him and their eyes connected, like a field to ocean, he thought he might be developing a crush on her. Then, she opened her mouth.

/

In the hokage's office, Nasu had explained the better parts of their trip to the wizened Hokage. "And that's pretty much it. Other than the trip home, that is." Nasu finished. The hokage looked up to the man before him and said, "So you're telling me that Kyuubi's chakra has enhanced Naruto's senses significantly?" Seeing the man nod, the Sandaime continued, "I hope you packed him some earplugs. He's going to be in for a nasty surprise."

/

Pure unadultrated pain ripped into his ears as the girl he was thinking of screamed, "THAT'S MY SEAT YOU'RE IN!" Naruto's hands lept to his ears as agony ripped his very core apart. Nasu's patented sonic tags couldn't even compare to the decibals that the girl could reach as he fell out of his chair still clutching his ears.

"Sakura, that's too loud. Hasn't anyone taught you of using your inside voice?" her blonde companion said as she neared the spot the blonde boy had been sitting a moment before.

As she approached the boy, she saw him shoot up and yell, "Kami fucking shit! Are we under attack or something? That had to be a damn war siren or something." He instantly regretted saying it as he collapsed in pain again while the pink haired banshee continued to yell at him.

It ended after Iruka walked in and yelled at the girl to quiet down and take a seat. "Alright class, today we are going to review the Transformation Technique. Since we have a new student with us, he will start us off. Naruto, will you show us the technique?"

An evil glint came into Naruto's eyes as he nodded in the affirmative. 'Time for some revenge for earlier.' Naruto walked to the front of the classroom and went through the seals for the technique, and began to shift. Smoke erupted from the boy's form to reveal a perfect copy of Sakura, or so the class believed. Iruka was the only one who had seen the last seal and the feral grin plastered on his new student's face.

"Huh? What's going on?" Sakura asked as she looked around.

"Great job, Naruto. You can release the transformation now." Iruka said as he made a couple of marks on the clipboard.

"What are you talking about Iruka-sensei? Wait, why am I in front of the class?" Sakura stated.

/

Naruto could barely hide his smile as he was now seated next to the blonde girl from earlier. He had flawlessly preformed the perfect transformation and a perfect substitution technique with it. Nasu had forgone the basic illusions of the academy and taught Naruto the true forms of each. While the perfect transformation was pretty self-explanatory, the perfect substitution was much more sinister than its counterpart. With the right amount of both chakra and control, an enemy could throw a weapon at you and suddenly find themselves in its path instead. He saw the confusion on everyone's faces and decided just to take it as far as he could go.

"Naruto, drop the technique already. You could never pull off these looks." 'Sakura' told the girl at the front.

Sakura could only stare at where the voice came from. It was like she was looking in an oddly placed mirror. "What the hell?" she screamed and pointed at the other girl. Realization dawned on Iruka as he looked at the two.

"Okay," he started, "Which one of you is the real Naruto?" The one in the back broke into the same feral grin and switched himself with the helpless girl. Naruto didn't hold back a snicker when the rest of the class caught up with their teacher. The blonde's expression was so priceless that he couldn't help taking her picture. Waving the film to help along the curing process, he then pocketed the photo for later. Iruka cleared his throat and asked, "Naruto, would you care explaining what you just did to the rest of the class?"

"Simple, It was a basic switch and deceive. By using a smoke bomb, I was able to both transform and switch places with my target. If I was a guarded target, they would probably hunt down their own person, thinking it was me. It could have a myriad of uses, from switching in a weapons path, infiltration, surprise attacks, or my personal favorite, the seat shuffle." Naruto's grin never dropped during the explanation.

Several questions fired at once.

"I though we couldn't switch with other people, how do you do it?"

"Are you able to do it to anyone?"

And the boy's favorite. "What's the 'seat shuffle'?"

Chaos erupted in the class as the last question finished and his hand went to a half ram seal. Iruka found himself on top of the Inuzaka's head, who was in a new seat, along with half the class. Naruto made a quiet escape with the distraction, deciding to head to lunch a couple of minutes early. After finding a decent tree, he hoisted himself up and pulled out a cup of ramen and some sushi from a scroll. "Time to eat!"

/

It wasn't long before the bell for lunch rang. Naruto had just finished the last of his meal, and started a mental checklist of the students. He sincerely hoped that he wouldn't be put in some no name team. 'Kiba, Chouji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Mr. Duckass are the only ones that look like they could handle themselves. The others are either sub-standard or just pathetic.' Looking over to the hyuuga member of his class, he continued. 'She's the only one who I haven't figured out yet. One minute she's the image of insecurity, the next she pulls an Uchiha and becomes as personable as a rock.'

Sensing a presence next to him, Naruto looked to the right and saw his desk partner sitting one branch over. "Hey Sasuke, watcha doing up here?" He noticed the banshee walking under the tree and immediately understood. Not only was she loud, but Naruto thought she might be borderline psychotic. She had pestered Sasuke for the better part of the morning and Naruto realized why Sasuke was in the tree with him.

"Ah, I get it. No worries, you can hang here as long as you need to."

Sasuke had a stunned expression on his face and rested his back to the tree. "Thanks, you're the first person who's understood my problem."

"It's not like it isn't obvious. Lemme guess, others say 'why don't you enjoy it?' or something along those lines."

"Bingo. It's not like I need the affection. I'd rather they train than pursue me. I'd rather have a girl who could defend herself than, well, that."

"Well at least the banshee would be proficient in sonic techniques. She actually made my ears bleed with just her voice." Naruto said with a grin. Both shared a laugh and told of their lives so far. Naruto told Sasuke of Nasu and training, and Sasuke responded with questions and comments. By the end of the lunch period, both were smiling and decided to race back to class.

/

Naruto returned home to find Nasu scowling at a scroll in his hands. "Oi what's up sensei?"

Nasu flinched and rolled the scroll back up. "Nothing much Naruto. Just finalizing some paperwork. Nothing too big. How was your first day?"

"It was pretty good. I met the 'last Uchiha' today. He isn't how I thought he would be. Sasuke's actually pretty cool to be around."

"That's good to hear. You should invite him for a meal sometime. Anyone in particular you'd want for a team?"

"Not really. Most of the class are pretty terrible. I bet most only knew the academy techniques. I can see why you taught me the way you did now. The best probably wouldn't last a half hour against other genin."

"Alright. Dinners on the stove, and all you need to train is in meditation right now. I don't want you overdoing yourself okay?"

"Yes sensei." Naruto replied as he went toward the kitchen.

Nasu got up from the sofa and opened the scroll he had been glaring at. 'Naruto Uzumaki no Soreya. Man the ladies will be all over him when he really shows his skill.'

/

Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out.

For the common passerby, No one would care about the blonde boy sitting in the clearing. To shinobi however, one would be surprised that he was floating about an inch above the ground. Naruto had just begun his meditation rituals for the day. Nasu had told him how to start his meditation by using chakra to hover over the surfaces of the earth without disturbing it. He had started Naruto on a sheet of glass and had him practice it for five days a week for two years. Once he had gotten sick of the training and nearly quit. It was only when Nasu had laid a thorough ass-whupping on him did Naruto reconsider.

-Flashback-

"I'm sick of this sensei! There's no point to me staring at the inside of my eyelids for the entire day. I may as well sleep for the day with how far this is getting me!" Naruto shouted. It wasn't fair that this man had promised to teach him, then turned around and told him to sit still and think! "I thought you said this would make me strong!"

Nasu cracked his eye at the boy before him. Honestly Naruto had lasted longer than he did for the training before the snap. "Boy, do you know the true meaning of power? The true meaning of power isn't to kill your enemy, but to live longer than him. Even in this world, there are those that forget this principle. Never forget that strength doesn't matter in this exercise. What matters is speed, stealth, and cunning. I tell you what, if you can land a hit on me, I'll speed up your training. Hell, I won't even move my feet."

Naruto perked up at this. Even this guy couldn't fight too well if he couldn't use his feet, right? Seizing the opportunity, Naruto charged at his teacher only to see him move out of the way. What had shocked Naruto wasn't the fact that Nasu moved, it was that the man had moved without even a twitch of his leg. It was as though he was hovering across the ground. Nasu grabbed the boy by his wrist and flung him into the nearest tree.

As Naruto hit the tree, he could feel the fracture of his forearm and the painful landing blurred his sight. Before he passed out, he could hear his sensei's voice, "Remember this lesson young one. If pain is the only way you'll learn, than you will curse your years with me. I'm trying to give you true power, not just strength or skill but the ability to harness both."

Naruto had woken up the next morning with his arm completely healed and no bruising at all. He didn't know it at the time, but his tenant was about to help pay the rent.

-Flashback end-

Naruto was jolted from his thoughts by the appearance of something that would make Kyuubi cry. It was human in form, but it was covered in what looked like a green rubber hide. Looking upon the beast's face, Naruto could see its mane was vaguely bowl-shaped with two huge growths over its eyes. It took him a couple of seconds to realise that this thing was indeed a human male, and it was about to speak.

"Yosh, what do we have here? Are you lost my youthful friend?" the newcomer asked.

"No, not really. I was just trying to clear my head." Naruto replied, deciding that maybe he shouldn't tell the whole truth.

The newcomer blinked once a put on what appeared to be the reported 'good guy' pose. "How very youthful of you! My name is Maito Gai. Would you like to join me for my mid-day work out?"

"The name's Naruto, and sure." Naruto flashed a grin that rivaled Gai's. 'It's not like Nasu told me not to train at all.'

By the end of the work out, Naruto was thoroughly winded alongside a grinning Gai. Naruto had agreed to meet the rest of Gai's team tomorrow, and all in all, Naruto knew where he stood physically.

6am

The next day came and Naruto was nowhere to be found at the academy. He knew that today was going to be a practice written exam for the finals at the end of the week. Naruto decided to try for extra points by sneaking in and stealing a test early, and left it finished in the turn in drawer in Iruka's desk. He had worn a similar outfit as yesterday, but with an added trench coat instead of his jacket and a mask in the image of a fox. The mask itself was nothing too special, but instead of both eyes painted the same, the right was painted with the symbol of the leaf village over it. He knew of the taboo surrounding foxes in this village but decided to shrug it off anyway. Seeing that he was four hours early, Naruto decided to take a nap at the meeting site.

9am

Gai had arrived just as Naruto woke up, but didn't bother looking up in the tree that served as Naruto's perch. Naruto knew that Gai had noticed him, but figured that he would use Naruto as a test of sorts for his team. After all, Naruto wasn't doing anything other than hiding his chakra. Naruto took the time to survey the miniature version of Gai that served as his first student, Maito Lee. He could tell the relation towards Gai, seeing as they are practically clones of each other. Naruto continued to watch the two warm up before turning his thoughts toward the other two members. 'Weapons mistress, huh? Wonder how she'll react to a bow.'

Time's up!

Sorry about the late chapter everyone. Work's been hauling me around by the scruff of the neck. Not too much to add for an authors note. Also, for those who are questioning things (such as Sasuke actually being agreeable) it'll be revealed in later chapters. Thanks for reading. See y'all in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

An Arrow Among the Flames chapter 5

* * *

Naruto had been sitting in the tree for about an hour soaking up information on Gai and Lee's Taijutsu when the other two members of the team arrived. One seemed to be a typical Hyuuga, white jacket and shorts with the 'the world is pain' emo look. The other was a girl dressed in a pink blouse and her hair in two buns. 'Oh the irony.' Naruto though as he remembered the night two nights before. 'So she must be the weapons mistress. Long range support while the Hyuuga is a spotter and Lee is the close combat expert. Pretty well rounded team.' Naruto mused as he listened to the conversation below.

"Morning Tenten and Neji! I hope our day will be filled with youthful training!" Lee shouted at the two. After greetings were exchanged, Gai tensed up and began with an explanation.

"Unfortunately Lee, we will not be training today. We have a secret mission of the utmost importance. It seems a rogue ninja has entered the village and we are tasked with taking him down. He was last seen in a black trench coat and wearing a fox mask." Seeing the look on his teams faces, he continued, "Don't worry, I'll do my best to make sure you come out of this unharmed."

'I guess that's my queue, this might be a little fun." Naruto thought.

"Well well well, looks like I've been found out." Naruto said loud enough for them to hear. 'Gai's gonna owe me for this.' "I wanted to just leave after I finished here, but it looks like that isn't the case." Naruto leaped down from his spot. "Although, I could've done worse. All I see here is a jonin with three brats." Seeing the team bristle at his comment, Naruto let himself smile. "Although the two girls there might put up some fight," he goaded. It wasn't a secret that Hyuuga men hated being mistaken for girls. 'Man, I do the evil thing a little too well.'

* * *

Tenten couldn't decide whether to laugh at that last comment or be disgusted. "I assume he's the one you told us about sensei?"

"Yes Tenten, but be careful. When we last checked, he was an A-rank at least." Gai replied before charging in with his fist cocked back. Just before he struck, he stopped, bit into a blood pack hidden in his mouth, and whispered to Naruto, "Nothing lethal please, but I need to know where they stand," before coughing up the fake blood and falling to the ground.

"Man, Gai sensei, you're seriously gonna owe me for this," Naruto replied before facing the three genin.

* * *

'This can't be happening' was the prevailing thought in the teams head. They had just seen their teacher get taken down by an unknown enemy. The ninja before them hadn't even moved and now they could feel his gaze settle on them. 'Where is the Killing intent? Why does his aura feel so calm?' Thoughts raced through Tentens head as she started to send orders to her teammates. "Neji, use your byakugan! Lee, don't engage until we know more about what we're dealing with.

Neji activated his eyes only to be shocked by what he saw. The person in front of him had no normal chakra system. Instead of the typical pass ways it was as though he had spiderwebs in his system and all of the points connected to at least three others. If he were to try to shut down his chakra system, it would be practically useless. "Tenten, I can't begin to understand what I'm seeing, all I know is that anything I do to him will be temporary."

"How long is temporary?" TenTen asked.

"Four seconds at best." was the stoic reply.

"Long enough, Lee, keep your weights on and engage at will." Tenten ordered as she began to pull out a pair of scrolls. "I'll try to keep him busy while you close in."

"Oi, are ya'll ready yet? I could've grabbed a bite to eat for how long you're taking!" Naruto heckled. He had been standing still while they told each other critical information. It wasn't like he was really trying to get them mad, but it seemed to be working. At least he could have his fun.

"Grrrr, shut it you!" Tenten launched a kunai at the masked stranger. She wasn't surprised that he sidestepped it, after all maybe he wouldn't notice Lee rushing in with a distraction.

He did. Lee threw the first punch at the man and the dance began. After three minutes of Naruto dodging, Lee suddenly disappeared and was replaced by the Hyuuga. Naruto couldn't help but let loose a giggle when Neji used his families style to close his chakra paths. Nasu never told Naruto the Gentle fist would tickle him. After moving his arm to test his strength, Naruto was pleased to see that he had no problems with it.

It was then that the two taijutsu users attacked at the same time. With Neji striking high and Lee going for his legs, Naruto would never admit it, but he was a bit hard pressed when the two worked together. He leaped out of the way to discover his landing spot had a nasty little surprise around it. The explosive tags lit up the area and as the smoke cleared, no sign of the man could be found. Lee let out a whoop of victory and Neji plastered a smirk on his face. Tenten couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She let out an "eep" in surprise as a pair of arms wound around her. "What!? How are..." Tenten let out before the feeling of being lifted cut her off.

Hearing the wind behind them pick up, Neji looked behind to see their opponent pick his female teamate up at the waist and teleport away. "Shit, Lee! He has Tenten!"

* * *

"... you still alive?" Tenten finished as she felt herself being set on the ground.

"Simple, do you really think that an explosive tag is all it takes to kill a high level ninja? Please, if it was that easy, I would've been dead a long time ago. You have a long way to go don't you?" Naruto replied as he looked around to make sure they made it to the right area. Last time he tried to teleport some-one else, they almost figured out if you could swim in lava.

Tenten spared a glance around to see she was in the middle of a street in the village. "Why are we here?" she asked nervously.

Naruto looked at her like she was crazy before showing her his watch. "Lunch-time Pointy-chan, don't they take a lunch break where you're from?"

Tenten couldn't believe what the guy in front of her said before puffing out her cheeks and responding, "Of course we do, but we're enemies, you're some missing ninja that killed my teacher, threatened us, and then kidnapped me. Now you expect me to have lunch with you! I can't tell if you're evil, or if you're just an asshole!"

"Ok, for the record, that was your teachers fault. Ass-hat used a half baked story to turn ya'll against me, then suddenly asked me to test you. My only fault is going along with it. As for the whole 'kidnapping' thing," He then proceeded to hold three fingers out and counted the seconds down. The second he hit zero, Tenten's stomach rumbled loudly leaving the girl embarrassed and blushing. "I thought you'd appreciate the gesture if I bought you lunch as an apology. If you don't want to, it's not like I'm gonna force ya." He finished as he walked into a ramen stand.

Tenten couldn't believe what she heard. This man had to be lying. Then again, it actually sounded plausible when considering her teacher. Her stomach rumbled again and she shrugged her shoulders. If he was offering a free meal, she may as well take it.

As she entered the building, she saw her once enemy sitting at the counter of the bar talking to the chef behind the counter. With his mask off, she was suprised to see a boy no older than her. Taking a seat beside him, she looked towards him and took note of his eyes and curious birthmarks on his cheeks. Both could be identifiers in case he had lied to her. The chef looked to her and asked what she wanted to order. After considering the menu, she was about to order when her companion spoke, "She'd like an order of sesame dumplings and an order of miso ramen."

The menu dropped from Tentens hands as she stared at her once enemy. "Coming up, Naruto! It's nice to see you with a friend." The waitress piped from the counter.

"How did you know what I was going to order?" Tenten asked the boy identified as Naruto.

"Simple deduction, you yourself smell of the dumplings. Our natural scent is dictated by what we eat and do throughout our lives. For example, I'm told I smell of hardwoods and ramen. You on the other hand have the scent of sesame dumplings, weapon oil, and ink."

Tenten couldn't figure out if Naruto was telling her that she smelled bad or not as he he continued. "As for the miso ramen, you're hungry and even without a great sense of smell, it would be an easy and safe suggestion."

"So you're saying that I stink is that it?" Tenten grated out. Quickly going over the situation, Naruto realized both who he was talking to and how he had said it.

"Not at all!" he exclaimed, "Everyone has a unique scent. It's not like it smells bad or anything. If fact, It's kind of nice that you don't drench yourself in perfume. I had to shut off my chakra to keep from losing my sense of smell in the academy."

Silence reigned as they waited for their food to arrive. Naruto on the other hand was a mental four way stop.

'What the hell was that? Was that my pathetic attempt at being a romantic? Kami, Nasu said it would be hard to talk to girls, but this is bloody torture! What do I do now? '

It was then that an answer arrived in the form of none other than Gai, Lee, and Neji entering the stand. Tension mounted as the three recognized the figure in the chair. Even with his back turned, Naruto could tell that Gai hadn't come clean yet. It would mean misunderstandings, violence, and then an ass-beating from Nasu for letting him get himself in this situation. Deciding to take an easy way out, Naruto replaced his mask and turned to the newcomers.

"And here I thought that I'd get to enjoy a peaceful meal. Too bad. I was just beginning to enjoy myself." With that said, he vanished. No fancy cloud of smoke or whirl of leaves. Tenten turned to where he was sitting only to see his untouched food and money for the meal laying on the counter.

* * *

"Man that was a drag." Naruto said aloud as he readied another arrow. Nasu had given him the bow just before they arrived at the village, and Naruto was happy to finally be able to use it. After loosing the arrow, he noted the arrow had drifted slightly to the left and prepared another one. "If Nasu finds out, I'm doomed." Naruto sighed to himself.

"Find out what Naru-chan?"

"That I got in a fight with Gai's students." Naruto replied to the voice behind him. He froze as recognition slowly creeped onto his face.

"Did you win?" That was the one question Naruto feared most. Better play it safe.

"More of a tie then anything. I didn't even come close to removing my weights so..." Naruto gauged the reaction of his teacher and friend.

"Good." Pleased with his students answer, he started to walk back to the house. "By the way, Iruka wants you to go to school early tomorrow. Something about missing a test."

Definitely a drag.

* * *

When Naruto arrived at the academy the next day, he was immediately called into the consultation room. As he walked in, he saw Iruka's face flash with equal parts anger, appreciation, and pride. It was obvious that he was mad about yesterday's test. "Yo, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto loudly exclaimed.

"Naruto, I assume you know why you're here." Iruka stated expecting the answer to come.

"Not a clue sensei," Naruto replied.

"Well then you know, wait, what?" Iruka caught as he was about to dole out a fitting punishment.

"Know what? I was home sick yesterday. Did Nasu not send you my note?" Naruto feigned innocence. It wasn't like he was doing anything out of place. Information warfare is a vital part of the shinobi lifestyle. Keeping his face schooled in confusion, Naruto continued, "I'm sorry I missed the test yesterday. I'll stay after class to make up for it, if I need to."

Iruka almost tripped while sitting. Most of the students would admit right away to what he thought Naruto had done. Wait, he didn't think, he knew. Damn it all. "Well that's convenient, since it appears you turned one in before class this morning." Iruka stated flatly. 'Your move Naruto.'

"Really? Are you sure? That's pretty far fetched sensei. If I was at home with a cold, how could I have finished a test? Are you sure you're well, do we need to take you to the clinic?" Came the stoic reply from Naruto.

Iruka expected the answer almost to the exact word. 'Nice try.' "Then care to explain this, Naruto?" He held up the newly graded test. "I just finished grading this test, and it appears to have both your name and handwriting on it."

Iruka thought he had Naruto cornered, until he heard the next sentence. "Uh, sensei? Why are you holding a blank piece of paper?"

Flipping it over to see it was indeed blank, Iruka began to hastily rummage through his desk trying to find the missing test. Not seeing it anywhere, he gave a resigned sigh and asked, "Okay, I give up. How'd you do it?"

"You left your desk unlocked the day before, so I figured I'd get a head start." Naruto stated calmly, knowing that he'd won. "After that, it was just a matter of copying it with chakra sensitive ink. Essentially, you've been holding a blank piece of paper the entire time. Couple that with a light chakra pulse, and the ink could change or disappear all together."

"So, did you learn this from your other sensei as well?" Iruka asked.

"Learn what?" Time to play stupid again. Naruto had already said too much, but it wasn't a critical mess up. Besides, he wanted to catch up with Sasuke again.

"You know what I'm... Never mind, you may leave." Iruka decided to let the boy go this time. He had gotten a better gauge of his skill anyway. He watched the blond get up and leave without another word. Tomorrow would be the physical test, and if Iruka was right, Naruto would keep to the exact average to avoid drawing his attention again. He would come to regret that thought later.

* * *

Naruto was starting to get impatient. He had left the academy and was currently following his new friend to his house. "Sasuke, are we there yet?"

"Not yet. It's just a little further." Sasuke replied.

During lunch, they had agreed to have dinner at Sasuke's house and train together for a bit. The two rounded the corner, and Naruto was mildly surprised by what he saw. After hearing of the Uchiha's status in the village, Naruto was expecting a little more. In front of him sat a typical two story house surrounded by a iron fence and gate.

"Come on Naruto! I want you to meet my parents!" Sasuke said happily. The sudden outburst of emotion momentarily stunned Naruto as he followed his friend inside. The home was a little bit more than he expected on the inside however.

"Dad! Mom! I'm home!" Shouted Sasuke as he entered a room. Inside sat two people conversing over a cup of tea. It was immediately apparent that these were the parents which Sasuke spoke of. Naruto couldn't think for a moment. Realizing his rude manners, Naruto bowed to the two and greeted them.

"Nice to meet you, I'm one of Sasuke's classmates. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

* * *

Will be cleaning this chapter up over the rest of the week, but this should be able to hold ya'll over for the next couple of days. -CD


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

Just some quick answers as to where I've been for a few months. In short, I've moved to a new apartment. There was no Internet for roughly half the time, and the other half saw me working to meet some early payments on the place. Sorry about both the short chapter and the disappearing act, but I'm back and getting back in the groove.

An Arrow Among the Flame Chapter 6

* * *

"It's nice to finally meet you Naruto." Sasuke's Mother replied. "I'm Mikoto Uchiha, and this is my husband, Fugaku." Her husband nodded and put in his word.

"It's nice to meet you, son. I've heard a lot about you from Sasuke. I'm glad he finally has a friend." Fugaku said before turning to his wife, "Sorry I can't stay for dinner honey, but the Hokage has called a meeting."

Fugaku got up and crossed through the door before turning toward the two kids. "When I get the chance, I'll show ya'll something that might help in the academy test."

After meeting Sasuke's parents they went back to the small training area in the backyard. After practicing the basics, they started sparring. It was obvious that Sasuke had practiced little more than the basics. Naruto decided to keep his strengths hidden for now and kept to the same.

It was soon time to eat and then head home. After thanking Mikoto for the meal, Naruto waved to Sasuke and started for his home.

* * *

The next morning came and Naruto just decided to send a shadow clone to school for him. He gave it enough chakra to get through till lunch while he slept in. After waking up around 10:30, he cleaned himself up and got dressed. When he felt the clone dismiss itself he was surprised by the classes subject. "They teach sex-ed in the academy? That had to feel awkward."

Naruto decided to be discrete and sunshined to the same tree that he had met Sasuke in. The raven haired boy jumped at his friends arrival but relaxed when he saw his blond haired partner. "Kami, you scared the shit outta me." Sasuke breathed out.

"Yo teme, why are you up in the tree again? Is Sakura chasing you again?" Naruto quizzed.

"Worse, ever since this morning, the whole fan club's been chasing me." Sasuke shuddered at the memory.

"Ouch," Naruto didn't respond for a second. "Hey, at least the sparring exam is today."

"Great, I get to fight one of those losers." Sasuke muttered as he looked at a group of kids sitting at the lone picnic table. They were the class bullies led by Hideki Demura. His clan was one of the few lesser clans granted a council seat. Hideki had some idea that it made him stronger than those below him. He never messed with the higher ranked clans kids, but he sickened Sasuke with his constant crap about superiority. "If you happened to go against him, do me a favor and go all out. Rules be damned."

"I'll do my best." Naruto agreed. '_Sorry Sasuke,but if I went all out, he'd be just a bloody smear in the dirt.'_

* * *

The class had assembled in the gym after lunch for spars. As Iruka called out contestants, Naruto decided early to join the Nara heir in a quick nap on the bleachers till his name was called. He figured he wouldn't miss much. As he woke up and heard his match partner, he couldn't help but groan.

Hideki Demura vs. Naruto Uzumaki

He dragged himself to the circle and waited for his opponent. He didn't have to wait long before the brash preteen made his way over.

"Why don't you just give up now?" Hideki said aloud, "Everyone knows that you don't have a clan. Without a clan, you're practically worthless."

Naruto let out a yawn and feigned ignorance. "Sensei, can I start now?"

"I'm not finished you clanless nobody!" Hideki shouted. "I'm the heir to the Demura clan of the Fist! If you want to fight me go ahead, but you're nothing compared to me! Hell, your sensei is probably a nobody like you."

Iruka decided to end it there. "Enough Hideki. Now, You both know the rules. No weapons, No techniques, No killing. Let's have a fun match." He brought up his hand and began the countdown.

'_Level six should do it.'_ Naruto though as he deactivated several hidden weight seals. His body felt light as his posture corrected itself for the lessened strain Nasu had told him no showing off, but Naruto wouldn't let anyone insult his teacher.

"3...2...1... Go!" Said Iruka as he brought his hand down.

Naruto didn't give Hideki time to move into his stance before rocketing forward. In three steps he reached the bully and landed a right underhand punch to the boys gut. As Hideki doubled over, Naruto clenched his left fist and brought it down on the small of the bully's back. Hideki let a small whimper of pain out as he hit the ground. After two seconds, he slowly rose with indignant flames in his eyes. "You... You're dead!"

Naruto instinctively dodged every sloppy punch and kick the the larger boy threw. He wanted to show how 'superior' a clan's heir was to some one who spent nearly every waking moment training for the past seven years. As Hideki began to tire, his punched looked no more than mere arm waves. "Pathetic" was all Naruto said before grabbing the boy's extended arm and throwing him off the sparring platform. The once proud bully landed with a loud crash as his supporters gathered around him. "Call it, Iruka," Naruto said loudly.

After gathering his senses, Iruka raised his hand again. "Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

That night, he expected Nasu to be mad at him. Nasu was going to put him through hell. Probably make him even clean and polish every single weapon in the house. What Naruto saw however was his brother putting the finishing touches on a cake. "Hey Naruto, heard about your spar today. Good job."Nasu looked up from his pastry project, "By the way, I t been wanting to say this for nearly seven years..." Turning the cake toward his student, Nasu read the words on the confection to his new brother. "Welcome to my family, Naruto Uzumaki no Soreya."

"What?" was the only intelligent word that Naruto let out. His mind went into overdrive at the sight of the cake in front of him. It was as though he was five again and wanting a family.

After seeing the emotions on his students face, he explained. "When we got back I submitted the official documents for your adoption. You now have access to the name of Soreya, the clan of stray arrows, and all that it entails. Although it's not much, considering we're the only two."

It took Naruto all of five seconds to piece together what just happened. His sensei just told him they were now family. He hadn't hadn't had much time to think about it during their training trip, but he really did look up to the man as a brother. Now it was a reality. He barely choked out a sob. Nasu saw his new little brother start crying and smirked a little bit.

"Now now, it's not the time for crying. After all, there's nothing to be sad about!" A small frown marred his features. Naruto's tears continued to fall as Nasu wound his arms around the boy. "Geez, I was expecting you to be bouncing off the walls right now. Now go get yourself cleaned up. We've gotta get some dinner and I have a massive craving for ramen."

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly and the basic tests for genin were taken and passed. Those unlucky enough to fail had been sent home, and there were rumors of a chuunin caught trying to break into the hokage tower. 'What an idiot,' Naruto mused as he looked over the other passing students. It seemed as though only half the class had passed, all but one belonging to a Konoha clan. As he mused over who might be on his team, he noticed Sasuke was fidgeting like he was on the wrong side of a lightning technique. "What's wrong Sasuke? You already passed the test."

Sasuke looked toward his friend with a distant look in his eyes. "Everyone in my fan club passed. If the team layout is the same as past years, there's a..." pausing to count on his fingers he grew even paler, "sixty-eight percent chance that I'll be teamed up with at least one of them."

Naruto saw the dilemma and added, "It could be worse, at least you won't be with two of them."

Sasuke looked as thought the thought made him physically ill. He didn't know what to expect as Iruka walked in with a determined face. "Alright everyone, it's time to get your team listings."


	7. Chapter 7

An Arrow Among the Flame chapter 7

* * *

Naruto had his fingers crossed and Sasuke was praying to whatever god would listen. It was too bad that Jashin had been the one to answer. Iruka steadily announced the teams and as he got to the final four sets, he let out a sigh. "Naruto Uzumaki no Soreya, Sasuke Uchiha," The two boys breath hitched as they ran the odds. There was a chance that they could have a three guy team after all. "and Sakura Haruno."

"Yes, in your face Ino!" The pinkette screamed, causing most of the class to wince. It was no secret that Konoha would probably see two Genin suicides later.

"No, no ,no, it wasn't supposed to be this way. I was supposed to enjoy being a ninja," Naruto sobbed. Taking a look at Sasuke he immediately grabbed the knife out of his friends' hand. "Not a chance, if I have to go through this, so do you!"

Iruka sweat dropped at the scene before him. "Okay, just a reminder, you are unique in the fact that you have a duo sensei. Officially you're under Hatake Kakashi."

* * *

Two hours later

Naruto was just about to fall asleep when the classroom door opened. A Jonin with silver hair and a mask walked into the class room. Sakura was the first to open her mouth and yelled, "What kind of teacher are you? Two hours late is ridiculous!"

"Now, now, Banshee," Naruto said, "He probably crossed a black cat or had to help an old lady cross the road."

'Finally, a student who understands me!' Keeping his features schooled in nonchalance, the Jonin known as Kakashi announced, "My first impression is... I hate you. Meet me on the roof." He promptly turned on his heel and walked out with Sakura behind him. He already knew to expect the other two on the roof as he noted that they went to the window rather than the door.

After introductions had been made (and nothing new had been learned), he had let them go. Kakashi let them know when they would start training . Naruto had stopped to think about tomorrow when he realized something. 'Didn't Iruka say that we had two sensei?'

* * *

The next morning came and Naruto arrived at the training ground around ten minutes early to do some warm up exercises He nodded to Sasuke in the tree, and disregarded Sakura pawing at the base. He finished his daily regimen when Kakashi arrived with another Jonin. "Team front and center!" Kakashi ordered. When his three students assembled, he pointed to the other adult and introduced him. "Students, this is your other teacher, Cheshire."

The other Jonin raised his hand in greeting. Naruto noted that the man wore a traveling cloak and an Anbu-like mask in the style of a cat.

"It's nice to meet you all. I hope we can all learn from each other," Cheshire stated. Naruto couldn't quite place the man before him. He thought the voice sounded familiar. Naruto shrugged it off and continued to listen to the newcomer's introduction. Little did he know it, but Nasu was the one behind the mask, and he was smiling evilly. If Naruto didn't recognize him, then this was going to be a lot of fun.

"Now," the masked teacher started, "We will start the final test for you to become Genin."

"But we already passed the academy test," Sakura voiced the other team mates expressions.

"Please, that test is only to weed out those who would probably die on a D-rank." Nasu shrugged as he pulled out a little golden bell. "The real test is this, if you get this from me, you stay Genin and we're officially a team." Letting that sink in, he continued, "If not, you will be removed from the ninja force." The air was tense as the three youngsters stiffened. "Now for the rules. Kakashi is currently a wild card, he will be hiding and you have the option of finding him. The only catch is if he's my ally, you will have to fight him off as well as me. If he's on your side, then you just gained a powerful ally against me. If you retrieve the bell, your goal is to then A. Hold it until time is over, B. Bring it to the goal site, or C. Disable me while you have the bell in your possession."

Taking a short breath, Nasu continued, "On the low chance that you actually get the bell, the goal site is next to the flag I planted on the other side of the training field. You have fifteen minutes to prepare before the test starts. Good luck!"

* * *

15 minutes passed way too quickly for Naruto. Right off the bat, the team decided for Sakura to find Kakashi. Fighting a Jonin level ninja as fresh genin would be suicide, and the teachers knew it. For them to stack the odds with a wild card wouldn't be possible for them. Sakura had objected at first, but Sasuke had been quick to bring her around. "Why would they have two Jonin against us? We can't even take out one except by dumb luck." After he said that Sakura had only agreed because her crush had said it.

After they discussed tactics, they finally decided that Naruto and Sasuke would keep Cheshire busy while Sakura found Kakashi. Naruto would hide Sakura's absence with shadow clones, and Sasuke would launch long ranged techniques.

Cheshire noted their readiness and announced, "Alright, let's start the bell test for Team Seven! Good luck!"

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke breathed heavily while their opponent looked unfazed. It had been fourteen minutes and all they managed to get was his cloak. Cheshire looked at the two as they started another formation with the Sakura clone bringing up the rear. Again they launched into the same attack that they had used to destroy his cloak. At first the Sakura clone would launch shuriken and kunai at the teacher while Naruto closed in. Sasuke would then send a fire jutsu toward Naruto, and Naruto would substitute himself with Cheshire to put him in the way of the fireball. As the fireball neared, Naruto felt his substitute jutsu fail and his eyes widened. 'This is gonna sting.'

* * *

Nasu was having fun. Scratch that, he was having a LOT of fun. He already knew that Sakura had left to find Kakashi and had seen through the clone. It was smart of the team after all, she was the weakest member, but could still find Kakashi to provide back-up. He was glad that they had seen through that little speech and immediately went for him. On the battlefield, you can never be over confident. It was surprising to him though when Sasuke had launched a fire technique at Naruto and he had suddenly been in the way of the rushing inferno.

That cloak had been the thing to save him as it took the brunt of the flame, and left the rest of his clothing intact. It now lay discarded and ashed over. He saw more strategies produced by the 'team', team being Naruto and Sasuke. It was when he saw the same formation as the one that had actually got through that he became a little irritated He played along and when Naruto was just about to switch with him, he sent a small burst of chakra to disrupt the substitution. "Fool me once, Naru-chan, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

* * *

Cheshire hadn't seen Kakashi slowly getting into position behind him. As the other Jonin turned to watch Naruto get hit with the fireball, he shot out, grabbing the bell from Cheshire's belt line, before reaching Naruto before the ball of fire hit him. Grabbing his student, Kakashi immediately started to dash for the goal.

* * *

Nasu had no time to react as he saw a silver streak next to him, grab the bell and Naruto, and immediately race for the goal. Turning around proved fruitless, Sasuke had already disappeared as well. He let out a loose chuckle. "The chase is on." Clouds darkened the area for a second and as the sunlight returned, Nasu had vanished.

* * *

Sasuke popped a chakra pill into his mouth as he followed Kakashi. They were near the goal and he still hadn't seen hide nor hair of their current enemy. It was when he reached the goal's clearing that he saw where Cheshire had gone. It was a small clearing, and in the center was a stump and a flag post with Sakura tied to it. She looked as though she was knocked out, but when he, Kakashi, and Naruto entered out of the treeline, she raised her head and yelled, "Stay back, it's a trap!"

Cheshire stepped out of the clearing opposite of the group and walked over to the captured kunoichi. When he was right next to her he raised a knife to her neck, and started talking in a sickly sweet voice. "Ah, look who it is. Now I don't have to go through the trouble of finding you. Kakashi, if you'll be so kind as to hand over the bell, Maybe we can work out a deal." He punctuated his speech with a cut on Sakura's neck, barely large enough to draw blood.

Kakashi didn't even hesitate when he pulled out the bell. Sasuke raised his voice slightly in panic as he asked the Jonin, "What are you doing? If he gets the bell, we are going to lose our ninja career!"

Kakashi gave his student a stern look and responded, "Is your career worth her life? If he doesn't get the bell, he will kill her. We can always try to get the bell again. You need to remember that those who abandon their mission are trash, but those who betray their teammates and friends are lower than trash."

Sasuke looked thoroughly chastised as he grabbed the bell from his teacher. "In my defense, I didn't think he would actually kill her." He finished by tossing the bell toward their masked opponent who caught it.

Naruto had stayed uncharacteristically quiet during the conversation. He had finally figured out both the man under the mask, and the actual goal of the test. "Not that he would actually kill her, right Nasu-sensei? Did we pass?"

Nasu couldn't hold back the laughter and removed his mask. "That's right Naruto, I probably would've just dispelled the clone and failed you." He dispelled his tied up clone and the real Sakura walked out from a tree a few yards away.

Sakura apologized and told the rest of the group, "When he found me, he told me that if I stayed quiet he wouldn't hurt me."

"Always remember Naruto, two can play that game." Nasu let out another laugh at Sasuke's confused expression, and tossed the bell onto the stump. A loud gong sound was heard and Nasu smiled brightly. "Now that's over with, I declare Team Seven to be an excellent group. Congratulations on passing. On another note, I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

* * *

A/N Well, chapter seven is up. If you're wondering why Naruto didn't use his bow, check back on chapter one and note one of the first conversations. Archery will not completely dominate his fighting style, but augment it drastically. I'm still deciding whether or not to test the waters with an original mission arc or not, but time will tell. How will the new team work together? What dangers will they face? And most importantly, will I ever write a longer chapter with decent fight scenes? Stay tuned for next time on An Arrow Among the Flame!


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